


Two Days of Dark

by ohmavin



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-07
Updated: 2013-08-07
Packaged: 2017-12-22 16:17:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/915343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohmavin/pseuds/ohmavin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ray reads from a book, and something bad happens in Gavin's life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Two Days of Dark

**Author's Note:**

> This began as a quick one shot, but turned into something else entirely almost by itself. Over twenty thousand freaking words later, I'm glad I wrote this. I hope you enjoy.

Gavin examined the room he sat in, trying to decide if it was a good idea to do what he was about to do. And even though he came to the conclusion that everybody that sat in front of his television were the same five guys he worked with and would not be surprised by his actions since they all knew his feelings, he still fidgeted nervously in his seat.

“Quit squirming around,” Michael scolded, pulling his eyes away from the screen to glare at Gavin quickly, “it’s like sitting next to a fucking worm.”

Gavin lowered an eyebrow at him, “’scuse me,” he mumbled while setting his console’s remote down on the couch and getting up without pausing anything. He’d stopped paying attention to what he had been doing a while back anyway, so his progress – or lack thereof – wasn’t really a concern.

“Where are you going?” everybody else yelled in different tones, and Gavin walked to the other side of the living room and stood there with his arms crossed. The other men continued their game, bitching about Gavin and his ‘incessant need to fuck everything up’ (as noted by Jack) all the while continuing the game play.

It was Sunday afternoon and Michael’s birthday had passed under what he pronounced as his “Almost-Welcome to Team Gents”, with it winding down in the form of a little Minecraft during the few hours prior to midnight. They’d all had a few things to drink, except for Ray as per usual so the spirits were high and their tongues loose, leaving them to speak their minds about anything.

Which could probably aid in understanding why Gavin was so nervous to do what he was about to do. He’d been thinking about doing it for a while now actually, and Michael had kind of already begun the process without any kind of hint; after dating for a year and being a couple for two, Gavin figured now was the best time to do this and make it official.

So he stood where he’d walked to, arms still folded in a tight and protective way around himself as he watched on. The men laughed way too hard about a joke involving a penis and God knows what else, leading Gavin to come to the conclusion that doing this in front of them was definitely not a good idea. Gavin tried to see if there would be a part in the game play where he could just ask Michael to step into the kitchen so they could be alone, but no such window was being opened for him. He sighed heavily, the words _here goes nothing_ echoing noisily in his head.

Gavin cleared his throat while walking a few steps forward slowly, measuring the distance that was left between himself and Michael with squinted eyes. He realized that if he stood in front of him, he’d just get yelled at some more for blocking the view. So Gavin changed his route, opting instead to walk to the back of the couch Michael sat on. He slowly and silently made his way to the area, and once he was standing behind Michael he put both hands to rest on the sofa cushions around either side of Michael’s shoulders.

“Can I help you?” Michael asked him, eyes still focused on Gavin’s television set.

The others continued their yelling at one another, with Ray eventually taking his shoe off and threatening a ‘genuine Hispanic style beating’ for Ryan if he didn’t’ stop trying to shear the only brown sheep either of them had found so far in the game (“I found it first” “so the fuck what if you did there’s no rules out here, Ray” “EVEN IF THERE _WERE_ RULES, IT’S NOT LIKE YOU WOULD FUCKING FOLLOW THEM ANYWAY!”) and Geoff took a break mid-quarrel to pick up his beer and have a quick sip before sharing exasperated looks with Jack.

Gavin moved closer and spread his feet wider on the floor below so he could lean down comfortably to rest his chin on top of Michael’s head, bent over just slightly. “I kind of wanted to ask you something.” He mumbled, his voice coming out funny.

Michael nodded, making Gavin’s head move as well. “What’s up?”

“Well,” Gavin started, straightening back up and letting his arms fall at his sides. “Can we go into the kitchen?”

“For what?” Michael wondered, turning around to finally face him. And he must have seen the nerves painted on Gavin’s face, because his expression softened from his usual ‘gonna tease the shit out of you for needing some Michael time’ expression to one of understanding and genuine care. “Alright, kitchen it is.” he put his remote down and ignored the complaints he got thrown in his direction, picking up his beer along the way and taking a swig of it while walking next to Gavin.

Gavin himself kept repeating the words _he’s going to say yes, quit freaking out!_  in different variations through his head, stopping once inside his white tiled kitchen. Michael walked through the sliding glass door and motioned to it, asking if he should close it with the raise of his eyebrows. Gavin nodded wordlessly and Michael did as he was asked, quickly pulling the door shut until it clicked into place.

“You okay?” Michael asked, walking to and pulling out a nearby chair from Gavin’s kitchen table and sitting on it in reverse, resting his arms on top of its wooden back. He kept the beer in hand and took another drink, waiting for a response.

Gavin took a few steps in reverse until he felt the cold marble of the counter hit against his back, leaning against it. “I sort of have a… Curiosity I want to discuss.”

“Mhm?” Michael prompted, patient.

Gavin looked up and quickly counted the four corners of the ceiling in a form of rapid distraction, desperate to calm down. “Do you ever think about maybe taking the next step in our um… Relationship?” his voice was almost a whisper.

Michael pursed his lips, furrowing both eyebrows and not daring to let his smart ass mouth get him in any trouble – at least not while Gavin was nearly blushing and talking about their relationship. So he instead studied his face carefully prior to answering in the same manner. “How do you mean, Gav?”

“I mean,” Gavin moved about again, stepping forward like he was going to join Michael at the table but pulling back to retreat to his counter to again. “What if I wanted something?”

“You know all you have to do is ask,” Michael answered casually, another drink pulled from his now nearly empty bottle.

Gavin nodded and looked at the floor, “but what if you didn’t want to do it?”

“To be fair,” Michael started, getting up and walking his bottle next to the sink and placing it to rest by the other items that Gavin would walk out to the recycle bin later. He came back and stood next to Gavin, leaning his lower back against the same counter so that their shoulders touched. “There isn’t anything you’ve asked from me that I haven’t given you or done.” He smiled nudged Gavin’s elbow with his own, “right?”

Gavin nodded and looked up at him, “yeah.”

“So?” Michael wondered, trying not to let his mind skip fifty feet ahead and assume Gavin was doing something else entirely. “What do you get curious about?”

Gavin worried his bottom lip between his teeth, trying to think of the quickest way to say it. “Are you comfortable?”

Michael stared at him, then when he realized Gavin was done speaking he nodded twice. “I’d say it depends on what you’re asking, but all around yeah I’m comfortable?”

“With me?” Gavin added silently.

“Gavin,” Michael said, moving so he stood before Gavin. “What’s going on?”

After letting out a sigh, Gavin groaned loudly. “Would you ever consider maybe… Living with me?”

Michael opened his mouth then snapped it shut. He then smiled at Gavin, looking at him with something like disbelief in his eyes. “Is this why you’re all worked up?” he asked simply.

Gavin lifted his left shoulder up then down, “I guess.”

A smirk started to form on Michael’s face as he realized Gavin was being serious. “You really want me to move in?” He asked him, taking a step forward and putting both of his hands on the bottom hem of Gavin’s shirt. Balling his fists in it, his grin grew when he saw Gavin’s eyes widen at his sudden proximity. “I was wondering when you’d ask.” Michael murmured, his face only a few inches away.

“Um,” Gavin swallowed hard, his eyes flicking from Michael’s lips to his eyes and back; all this time into their relationship and he still became a standing sack of goop any time Michael even came _near_ him. “Is… So that’s a yes?”

Michael nodded slowly, staring at Gavin’s lips “mhm…” and he didn’t move in any closer than that. He just stood there, counting the seconds.

And then Gavin smiled, big and careless. “Good.”

Michael finally looked him right in the eyes and nodded.

 

* * *

 

The following day, Michael’s clothing and miscellaneous items (shoes, toiletries, belts, et cetera) lay strewn around Gavin’s – and Michael’s, now – bedroom. He walked around while whistling, taking his shoes and putting them to where Gavin instructed they were kept.

“The entire left side of the closet is mine?” Michael asked, picking up a big stack of his jeans.

Gavin looked up from the show he was watching while he rested on the bed after having finished installing new shelves in said closet. “Yep!”

“Hmm. More room than I had at my old place.”

Gavin’s phone rang and he got up from his place to get it from where it sounded on the charger by the television. He saw it was Ray and answered it happily. “Heeeeeeeeeeello.”

“Why do you always answer like that?” Ray complained.

“Why do you always wait until I’m finished to whine?” Gavin retorted, going back to his bed and sitting down.

Ray sighed on the other end of the line, “are you up for going out today?”

“Michael’s not done putting his stuff in,” Gavin got up again and went to his closet, where Michael sat cross-legged on the floor folding his shirts neatly. “Probably not done for another few hours.”

“That’s fine, I can swing by when you’re done.” Ray answered.

Gavin leaned against the door frame, smiling down at Michael. “What’d you want to do?” he asked into the phone, laughing lightly when Michael tossed a shirt at him for staring.

“I have to go to this store to look at some stuff.”

“What kind of store?”

Ray sighed, “just a store. For a friend of mine. And I don’t want to go alone.”

Gavin snorted, “you’re not taking me to some sex toy factory are you?” his voice was playful, but under it all he seriously hoped this wasn’t the case. Michael looked up at the three words naming the potential location, already shaking his head violently and making a slicing motion across his neck with his hand repeatedly.

“Just text me when you’re ready.” Ray said, hanging up after.

“Okay.” Gavin said into the already dead phone line, locking the screen back up and putting it in his back pocket. “You need help yet?” he asked Michael while folding his arms across his chest.

“’s just clothing. I’ll be done soon. Can I shower after?” Michael asked the last question honestly, not realizing what he’d said. He kept folding in silence.

“Michael,” Gavin began. He took a few steps into the small closet, squatting so he was at eye-level. “It’s your bathroom too now, remember?”

Looking away from the item in his hands to give Gavin a look of slight surprise, Michael chuckled. “Right.”

Gavin nodded, moving in and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before trying to move back to leave the small space. But Michael stopped him with a hand going around his forearm, tugging him closer so Gavin had to come to – but not be aggressively pulled in to – lightly kiss Michael’s smiling lips.

Gavin muffled out a shaky and pleasantly surprised “mmm” sound into the kiss, closing his eyes and leaning forward to return the gesture. Whatever piece of clothing Michael had been in the middle of folding (damned if he remembered it anymore, what with Gavin doing that stupid crazy and unbe _lievably_ hot thing where he catches Michael’s bottom lip between both rows of teeth and licks at it before kissing him proper again) fell to the floor, completely ignored now. Gavin threw himself into the kiss, in every sense of the word; so excited did he go from one second to the next, that his weight caused Michael to decide that pulling Gavin down so they were completely pretty much horizontal on the carpet was the best course of action.

“You know…” Michael breathed out when Gavin moved to kiss his jaw, “this could get pretty – Jesus fucking _Christ_ ,” his sentence was cut in half by a groan laced with the exclaim after Gavin sucked at _that_ spot on his neck and kissed it to make it better.

Gavin moved back up so his face was hovering over Michael’s, both hands firmly on either side of Michael’s face to help support his own weight. “You were saying?” He asked, his cheeks a little redder than they should be.

Michael looked up at him while still breathing a little heavy. “I was… saying this new living situation could get pretty interesting…”

“How do you figure?” Gavin asked with an innocent smile in place. He moved himself down and all but attacked Michael’s kiss-swollen lips, then hovered over him again.

“Lucky guess?” Michael responded after, laughing at himself when his voice cracked.

Gavin also started laughing, and eventually they both decided now was probably not the best time to mess around.

“We can’t ditch Ray? Not just one time?” Michael asked when Gavin got up and stood. “Just this once?”

Gavin looked down at him, shaking his head. “He sounded a little nervous. Let’s be good friends to him for once.”

Michael sat up and set his mouth in a hard line, picking up the sweater he had dropped when Gavin made his brain turn to mush. He folded it quickly, putting it next to the other ones he’d placed into a neat stack by his dress shirts. “Fine.”

“We have all night, Michael.” Gavin added in a sing-song mumble.

Michael looked at him over his shoulder with a knowing smile on his face. “Don’t think I’ll forget that now.”

“I’ll make sure to remind you at random times during the day.” Gavin said casually, raising both eyebrows at him and leaving the closet to walk back to his bed. “Let me know when you’re done so we can meet up with Ray for… whatever it was he wanted to do.”

“Will do.” Michael called back.

 

* * *

 

Two hours later, they found themselves completely stuck in traffic.

“This is the shit we get for finally deciding ‘oh let’s help Ray get a car’,” Ray hissed between his teeth, honking his horn loudly when the huge green family van in front of him didn’t move after the light turned for them to go. “Are you shitting me?” he yelled.

Gavin huffed from the back seat, “why’d you even think it was a good idea to take the streets, do you not know school’s going back in session tomorrow?”

“No. Why do _you_ even know that, and what’s your fucking POINT,” Ray yelled, honking twice in warning when the same van tried for whatever reason to back up and nearly hit him.

“These are probably all people coming back home because of it. Could have taken the highway, you know.”

“Gavin.” Michael announced in a warning tone from the front passenger’s seat, turning to look at him. He shook his head at him and mouthed, “not now.”

Gavin shrugged the comment off. “Ray.”

“This is bullshit. Go. Go, oh my god _GO_!” Ray pushed the honk down and held it, the cars around him also honking since road rage was very much contagious.

Michael sat back then looked at Ray and observed his anger. “So this is what you all have to put up with at work. Hmm.”

“I like it.” Gavin said. Ray was too caught up with trying not to flip off the now hated green van and the driver of it (who finally decided to stop texting and move), to notice that Gavin held Michael’s gaze with a very suggestive one of his own.

Michael tilted his head at him, “do you, now?”

Nodding, Gavin licked his bottom lip then let his teeth drag across them in a slow bite. “I do.”

“Please don’t eye fuck in my car,” Ray whined, finally snapping to and paying attention to what was going on between his friends now that the traffic cleared and the streets were drivable again.

Michael blinked slowly at Gavin and then they both looked away, almost simultaneously shifting in their seats to hide the evidence of what the small suggestive conversation had done to them.

Moments later when they stopped at another red light – this time not as congested with cars though – Gavin looked behind him and laughed. “Guess who’s back?” he said, peering at the green van from earlier.

Ray already knew the answer since he’d peered in his rearview mirror but he went along with it anyway, “if you don’t say Eminem at this point, I _will_ be upset.”

And as soon as the light turned green, the van of the same color began to honk even though Ray had begun driving as soon as he’d been legally allowed to. Michael looked over his shoulder and out the back window as well, eyeing the van when it kept honking and trying to swerve so that it could bypass Ray or something along those lines.

“Dude, are you kidding me?” Ray said, visibly sitting straighter. “He’s gonna crash in to me if he doesn’t stop.”

“Keep driving.” Michael suggested, “don’t need to piss anybody off, this is a new car. Just relax.”            

Gavin turned around in his seat completely, staring straight into the driver’s window. “What?!” he shouted.

Ray stepped on the gas, “Gavin, shut the fuck UP.”

“What’s your problem?” Gavin said again, knowing that while the other driver probably couldn’t hear him he sure as hell would be able to see him addressing him in the form of a middle finger.

Michael got angry. “Gavin, fucking stop.”

Gavin turned around to face him, “oh breathe, will you? What’s he gonna do, hit us?”

And actually, yeah.

That’s exactly what he did.

Ray groaned loudly when they all felt the car jolt as it was hit, not hard enough to send them spinning around or cause any real damage to Ray’s car itself but enough to make them all realize that the lunatic behind them had some serious temperamental issues.

“Fucking shit, Gavin!” Ray yelled, looking around himself in a panic while cars around them honked at the chase.

“Next street, take a sharp left.” Michael offered, glancing over his shoulder to see the green van had switched over to their right lane and was picking up speed. “He’s trying to move up and come over to my side.” He was keeping eerily calm.

Gavin‘s eyes widened when he realized they really were in danger, “I wasn’t trying to –”

“Shut up, Gavin.” The other two nearly shouted together.

Gavin shrank back in his seat.

“The turn, take it now.” Michael looked at the upcoming street light, their left turn arrow still on green.

The van reached them and started honking again, the driver so obviously pissed off and his hand gestures were proving him right.

“Left _NOW_!” Michael yelled at Ray, and he put his hands on the steering wheel and turned left a few feet short of the cross walk and intersection. The turn was sloppy and loud as the wheels burnt against the pavement, the cars around them honking at them for their callous driving but the green van hadn’t seen the turn coming so it kept going straight and didn’t turn with them.

Gavin kept his hold on the seat and ignored the dull pain that was rooted from the inside of his hand, breathing heavily with his heart thumping away in his chest.

“Gavin, is he gone.” Ray asked, his voice unnaturally cold.

Sitting up again Gavin turned around in his seat and looked out the back window. He didn’t see the van anymore, so he nodded and sat back down facing them both. “Yeah.”

More thick silence, then Michael and Ray exhaled a loud and much needed sigh after which they sat back as calmly as they possibly could. The three of them remained quiet for a few minutes, looking around and seeing if things had gotten knocked over or if they themselves got hurt somehow.

“Gav, you good?” Michael asked without looking back, his tone flat.

Gavin winced at the pain on his hand then he held it open and saw he had somehow sliced the palm of it open; he’d likely done it from scrambling for something to hold on to during the scuffle and wound up digging into a sharp metal that was jutting out of the door handle. He pulled the bottom of his shirt to cover the raw wound and let it suck up the blood then squeezed his palm shut over it, not making a sound. “’M fine.”

Nobody said anything, even after they got to their destination.

Ray had found parking and they all got out of the car, the air around them still felt humid with the left over jittery feelings the ‘chase’ had left in them.  Gavin didn’t even bother trying to apologize, he just walked aimlessly towards a store whose name he didn’t even read.

“Gavin,” Michael called out from behind him.

Gavin turned around, “yeah?” he answered in a timid (maybe paranoid and scared) voice.

“Wrong direction, pal.” Ray said back, pointing behind him at a tall building with gray walls and shrubbery surrounding the edges of the front door.

Michael waited until Gavin walked all the way to him, pinching his forearm gently. “You okay?” he asked.

Gavin nodded, “yeah. Feel kinda bad.”

“Forget about it. ‘Lright? Not a big deal.” Michael started walking and Gavin followed him, “we should probably be focusing more on the fact that Ray brought us to a fucking magic shop.”

Ray looked over his shoulder at them, “it’s not a magic shop.”

“Then why’s there a crystal ball on the display window?”

“That’s not what we’re here for.”

 Gavin smiled and exchanged a smile with Michael. “So it _is_ a magic shop.”

They both heard Ray groan and laughed as they reached the front door of the establishment. Ray went in first, then Michael held the door open for Gavin and stepped inside himself. The inside aroma was thick with the scent of cinnamon. The floors of the inside were lined with table upon table of the oddest items; gems and stones of varying shapes and colors were on the one closest to Gavin so he went over to it and read the sign over it scribbled on a white piece of cardboard: ‘Fate Stones’. He wanted a distraction of sorts to pull him away from the fact that he got a weird aura of something as soon as he walked in to this store.

“Ah yes,” a new voice traveling from the far left side of the room said. “I should really consider moving those stones so people don’t always gravitate towards them first… When there’s so much else to see…” Her voice was breathy and soft. Gavin looked around and saw her, an elderly woman with hair tied on her head in a messy bun. She had kind blue eyes, but the wrinkles around them showed she’d seen a thing or two in her life. She stepped out from behind the counter where she’d been standing by the register and smiled at the three young men in her shop. “What can I do you for today?”

Gavin leaned down and read the smaller writings under each stone’s display, his fingers grazing gently over the small deep autumn-leaf colored rock.

Michael just stared at Ray, waiting for him to answer since he himself had no fucking idea why they were here. And Ray smiled in a carefree way, because at least _he_ knows exactly what he’s looking for.

“I’m just trying to find this book that a friend asked me to pick up.”

“Oh, what book might that be?” the store owner extended her arm to the right side of the building, “I have books on everything: from the importance of the Moon’s waning phases all the way to a beginner’s guide for Wicca practice.”

Gavin looked up at Michael and gestured for him to come over with a wave of his hand and Michael took the bait, grateful to get away from all the magic gibberish. He saw Gavin was looking at something closely, so he too leaned down and whispered a “what?” into his ear.

“Do you really think these rocks can bring you good luck?” Gavin said in the same hushed tone.

“You’re _sure_ your friend didn’t give you the book title?” the elderly lady’s voice rang from her place on the bookshelves with Ray, “that’s rather unfortunate.”

“I was just told to get a book on the subject,” Ray said with a laugh, “I don’t know anything about this.”

Back by the stones, Michael ran the digit of his index finger over a rough jagged-edged sky blue-tinted pebble. “This is _way_ too small to be able to calm me down.”

Gavin laughed and read the sign to it out loud, “’Blue Calcite, a healing and calming stone’. Dunno Michael, wouldn’t do you any harm to carry one of them around in your pocket.”

“Ha-ha, dipshit.” Michael said sarcastically, pushing the side of Gavin’s head with his middle finger. “What one were you looking at?”

“Mm,” Gavin went back to his first one, “that one.”

“’Amber gemstone: for luck and happiness’, really? You tryin’ to tell me you’re not happy with me?” Michael stood up straight and crossed his arms.

Gavin rolled his eyes while reading over some of the other ones, the sounds of Ray and the shop keeper’s conversation background noise. “Get over yourself, Michael.” He huffed with a grin.

“Asshole.” Michael murmured, looking at the bracelets and gem-strung pendants on the display next to them. He was going to walk over to them when he heard Gavin say a quiet “oh” from his stance still on the rocks.

“Hey, Michael?” Gavin said.

“What.”

Gavin curled his index finger in and out two times, craning his neck to see that Ray now was watching his helper reach for a book on the highest shelf with the help of a metal ladder. “Come ‘ere.” He said, stifling a giggle.

And Michael put his hands in his pockets then stood by Gavin with a curious expression. “What?” he repeated.

“Look at that one.” He pointed at a dark mud-brown rock, a little bigger than the others and smoothed out. Both of them leaned in to read the sign below it, mischievous grins slowly growing on either of their faces.

Neither Gavin nor Michael had noticed that Ray and the elderly owner had already found the book and were also crowding around them.

“Fire Agate’s always good for a new couple in aid of some sexual stimulation, you should think about making the purchase if, you know… You needed _help_.” The shop keeper said in a very _not_ quiet voice. “You’ll both feel your base chakra open the moment you put it to use, and you’ll find no other sexual encounter you’ve had even come remotely close to the one you’ll experience with its powers working.”

Ray shook his head while Gavin and Michael tried to hide their reddening faces, “I don’t even want to know what that _means_.” He mumbled. And the both of them walked in the direction of the cash register, but stopped when Ray eyed the stand with the pendants and jewelry.

Michael sighed, “great. Now this lady thinks I’m not fucking my boyfriend properly.”

“Well, you _could_ use a little help.” Gavin teased, successfully moving to the side before Michael could shove at him. “I’m just kidding, love.”

“Hm.” Michael replied, his eyes two suspicious slants.

Gavin looked over at Ray and the lady, now chatting away joyfully while they discussed a necklace with white gem hung from a black cord. He lowered his voice and got closer to Michael choosing to speak directly into his ear, “don’t worry about it,” he said, “you fuck your boyfriend good enough.”

Michael nodded, the tips of his ears going crimson. “Alrighty then!” he shouted, getting the attention of Ray and the shop keeper at the front and suddenly speaking to everybody. “We should probably speed things up so we can get home.”

“Mhm.” Gavin murmured, walking away from Michael with a triumphant look in his eyes.

He laughed when Michael walked over to the two others, his voice urgent as he said “let’s pack it all up, Miss um…”

“ _Mrs._ Josstone.” The shop keeper corrected.

A table with a purple table cloth caught Gavin’s eye, so he walked to it and read the display hung above it. ‘Tricks of the Mind?’ it read. He got closer, seeing an open book and reached out his hand to flip the page. He was standing over it now, reading the entries with interest. And Gavin obviously didn’t know much about bad magic, but after flipping the cover and seeing the words “Malignant Magick” he kind of figured that’s exactly what this book was; dark magic. And his point was proven accurate when he went to the index and saw the first title of the very first chapter: ‘To harm, you must mean it’.

“What’re you readin’ there, Gav?” Ray said, making Gavin jump in place. He stepped up to the book and read as well very quickly, stepping back. “You trying to curse somebody now?”

Michael stood on Gavin’s left, hand moving to get a grip of Gavin’s. “He’s probably trying to – ew, Gav what is that?” he pulled his hand back when Gavin winced at the contact, “why is there blood on your hand?”

“Cut myself on Ray’s stupid car door,” Gavin sighed, looking at his hand and frowning when the pain came flooding back now that the attention had been brought back to it.

Ray scoffed, “not my fault you’re a fucking moron. Actually, if anything,” he got closer to the book and flipped through the pages, “I should be looking in to putting a fucking curse on your ass for almost getting us killed.”

Michael laughed, “good point. See if you can find anything in there that’ll make him only speak in tongues or something.”

Gavin put his hand back down, “give it a rest.”

“What,” Ray murmured, finger trailing down the page he’d apparently been looking for, “scared? You scared of a little magic, Gavin?”

“”M not scared,” Gavin said, folding his arms across his chest, “don’t even believe in this stuff.” Bullshit; the entire place was still giving him a bad case of the heebie-jeebies. But they didn’t need to know that, they didn’t need more fuel added to their fire.

Michael looked behind them and saw the shop keeper was busy with a feather duster and getting rid of the dirt on her countertops, “I’d watch what I’m saying if I were you, Gavvers.” He said playfully, “she could probably get you.”

Gavin felt uneasy when Ray started to mutter something, his insides twisting. “Ray, don’t read that.”

“Gavin.” Michael said in disbelief, “it’s not even real.”

Ray laughed, “so if I were to say,” he cleared his throat and peeked behind him again, watching the old lady go into the back room to probably look for more books to bring out. He then looked back at the book again, blinking slowly then reading out, “ _‘_ _B_ _y hells_   _might by all that is right_ ,  _curse this bastard_ ’s _primacy_ _and take away his sight, force him to stare at but eternal _night__   _and_ _face life without light_ _’…?”_

As soon as the words left his mouth Gavin shook his head, exhaling loudly. “Ray, I’m serious.” He felt genuinely dizzy, so he put his hand out to hold himself up and it landed on the open page of the book, then he hissed when his cut palm rubbed against it.

“Whoa whoa, Gavin? Gavin,” Michael pulled him back, “you okay?” the smile was gone and his tone was concerned.

Ray stepped back, “dude. You being serious?”

Gavin opened his eyes, blinking and trying to clear his mind. “I’m fine. Let’s just get out of here,” he stood straight and admitted the truth, “this place gives me the creeps.”

“Probably better go now before she notices you bled all over her book.” Ray said with a laugh, closing said book back up and heading for the door.

“Have a blessed day!” the lady called after them.

They all waved at her.

Gavin was quiet all the way back to his and Michael’s place. He kept feeling jittery, like his bones were slowly turning to mush. The insides of his chest felt constricted, tugged on as if somebody were plucking at his lungs and making them itchy or ticklish. Michael and Ray talked about how Ray’s friend _had_ actually asked he pick up the book now, since she’d lost a copy on the specific subject and needed a new one, any new book on it. Gavin was half listening, half trying to pinpoint why he felt so freaked out. He kept telling himself he didn’t really believe in any of that ‘Magick’ nonsense Ray had read a while back, but he did believe in the fact that his head felt heavier now. So he let himself give in to the feeling of weakness, falling asleep in the backseat.

Michael asked him a question, and when Gavin didn’t answer he looked over his shoulder. He saw Gavin’s chest slowly rising and falling as he slept, face calm. His eyes moved to Gavin’s hand, remembering he had to put some kind of medication on it as soon as Ray dropped them off back home.

Home.

His and Gavin’s home. Michael smiled at the thought, giving Gavin one last look before sitting back straight and listening to whatever songs the radio was playing for the rest of the way.

And Gavin stayed sleeping even past when Ray stopped the car in front of their apartment building. Michael said his goodbyes to Ray and got out, walking to the back then opening Gavin’s side of the door, leaning inside and poking him on the shoulder.

“Gav? Gavin, we’re home. Wake up.” He shook his shoulder a little harder when he didn’t move. “Gavin?”

“Hmmph,” he mumbled while stirring, finally sitting up. He opened his eyes and they were bloodshot, even though he hadn’t slept for longer than twenty minutes. “We home?” he mumbled while rubbing his eyes.

Michael nodded and stood straight, “yeah, man. Let’s go.”

“’Mkay,” Gavin was still muttering his agreement while he got out of the car and he made sure to stop by Ray’s window. “’M sorry about… almost getting us killed.”

Ray laughed, “it’s fine. You look like shit. Let me know if you go blind after all.”

Gavin and Michael scoff-laughed, waving goodbye as Ray honked his horn once at them and drove away.

Since he had only been living there for literally a day, Michael still didn’t have the keys to open the door. He waited for Gavin to lazily search his pockets with one hand, leaving his injured one by his side.

“Do you have like a first aid kit or something?” Michael asked.

Gavin shook his head and put the key inside the doorknob, “no,” and after unlocking the door he pushed it open.

Michael chuckled, “for the amount of times you hurt yourself doing stupid shit you’d think you’d have one around.”

“Well,” Gavin sighed after stepping inside and collapsing on the sofa, “I don’t.”

Michael shook his head, “hold on.”

“For what?” Gavin said, draping an arm over his eyes and breathing easier. Michael didn’t answer him immediately, so he let himself get comfortable and tried to calm his breathing since he still felt a little woozy for whatever reason. He thought he heard the tap running in the kitchen, but he ignored it and focused on his heartbeat.

A few moments later, Michael came back and put his hand behind Gavin’s legs. He pulled them off the couch, sitting in their place. “Sit up.”

Gavin opened his eyes and made a face, “why…”

“Give me your hand.”

Gavin understood, sitting up and holding his hand out. Michael took it in one of his own, holding a wet bundle of napkins with the other. “Tell me if it hurts, okay?”

“I'm not a baby.” Gavin said drowsily.

“If you say so buddy,” Michael laughed softly, the sound of it making Gavin grin at him. He dabbed around the edges of Gavin’s palm, pulling back quickly when Gavin jumped a little bit. “Sorry…” he said, folding the napkins over and using the clean side of it to wipe away the now drying blood that had made a thin trail to his wrist. “Does it hurt?”

Gavin shook his head no.

“Alright, well…” Michael tossed the now unusable napkin to the nearby trash bin, celebrating with a small fist pump when it landed inside. He turned back to his items and gave a warning. “This will definitely hurt a little.”

“Not the alcohol wipes,” Gavin complained, “why do you have those?”

“Because unlike you,” Michael said while opening a packet, “I don’t like for my injuries to get infected. I like all my body parts and I don’t want them falling off.”

“My hand would not have fallen off, it’s just a scratch.”

“Shut up and stop moving, if I get this liquid inside the cut it’ll mess up the whole thing. I’m serious, Gavin.”

Gavin sat up straighter, trying to hide that he was secretly enjoying how bossy Michael was being. “Okay, okay.”

Michael let go of Gavin’s hand and put it to rest palm-up on his own thigh, reaching to his left and picking up the brown bottle of peroxide. Gavin watched him pick up a small bit of cotton, then he uncapped the container and covered the open lid of it with the white fluffy ball. He tipped the jar over, allowing it to be absorbed before setting it back on the table and placing the lid back on top. His eyes were concentrated, eyebrows scrunched close together and his forehead wrinkled.

“No moving.” He said again.

“Understood.”

He picked up Gavin’s hand again, careful to only use the cotton ball to clean around the edges and not inside; the water and mild soap mixture he’d used at first did the trick for that. And the cut wasn’t big enough that it needed medical attention – he’d had enough accidents and seen plenty of them in his life to know a severe cut when he saw one – so he just had to clean the wound and make it more comfortable for Gavin to walk around with. Michael dabbed very gently, moving Gavin’s hand closer to his face to make sure he didn’t somehow screw it up. A few silent moments of it later, he put the cotton ball on the table and grabbed for the last item he’d picked up, the ointment. Once again letting Gavin’s hand rest on his lap, he unscrewed the top and squeezed the end of the tube, catching some of the contents on his index finger.

“Wanna dab it on yourself?” he said, looking up at Gavin for the first time since he’d started attending his cut. He physically felt his breath get caught in his chest when he saw how Gavin was looking at him, eyes blinking heavily and slowly and the smallest of smiles on his face. “…what?” Michael asked, feeling himself blush under the gaze.

Gavin shrugged, “nothin’.”

“Okay.” Michael swallowed hard and picked Gavin’s hand back up again, very _very_ slowly applying the ointment over the surrounding area of the cut. Gavin bit his lip to hide the wince when it hurt, but other than that slight uncomfortable feeling it was relatively painless. “We don’t have band-aids though.” Michael sighed, getting up and gathering all the items he’d left out on to the coffee table.

“’S fine, I’ll just keep it away from surfaces.”

Michael gave Gavin one last look then nodded, “right.” He made to get up when Gavin’s non-injured hand came to rest on his forearm, so he looked at him with raised eyebrows. “You need something?”

The red hue on Gavin’s face became brighter as he nodded, all of a sudden not sleepy anymore. “…think I do.”

Michael cleared his throat, catching on to his lightly suggestive and timid words quickly. “Do you um… Your hand – are you okay to…?”

“I have two hands, you know.” As if to prove a point (and while ignoring the fact that the entire room started to spin when he moved too fast), Gavin fell back-first on the couch and pulled Michael down with him so that he landed with his arms and legs on either side of him, their lips already kissing and working over whatever piece of skin they could touch.

 

* * *

               

Gavin _instantly_ regretted deciding to do that on the too-small for two people sofa. He woke up early the next morning, glancing at the glowing numbers of the digital clock hanging on his wall; 5:58 A.M. Groaning, he sat up from his place on the carpet all the while not remembering how _he_ ended up down there while Michael remained sleeping on the sofa. Not really bothering with putting clothes other than his boxers back on, he stood completely and yawned on his way down the hall and straight to the bathroom.

After brushing his teeth and letting the hot water and amazing water pressure his shower provided un-knot his back muscles, he lathered up and rinsed down until he felt fresh enough to turn the water off and reach for a nearby towel. Gavin made slow work of his morning, since they didn’t go in until noon anyway.

He passed by Michael, still sound asleep in the living room, on his way to the kitchen and smiled at him. And he assumed the smell of coffee maybe caused him to stir, because soon after he took out ingredients for breakfast he heard Michael groan.

“Michael?” he called out happily while whisking the pancake mix in a large plastic bowl.

“Gavin?” Michael responded, his voice strained.

Gavin grinned, “feeling alright?”

He heard a loud thump, as if Michael fell out of the sofa. “Gavin? GAVIN!”

“Michael?” Gavin put the bowl down and his heart felt like it fell; he didn’t like the way Michael’s voice sounded that last time. He half-ran to the living room, where Michael sat with his back against the couch on the carpeted floor. “Michael?” he said again, kneeling before him.

Michael’s eyes were wide open, but he kept squeezing them shut then opening them even wider and rubbing them. “Gavin, where are you?!” he asked, his voice trembling.

Gavin looked around, confused, “I’m right here?” he said back, “Michael?!”

“I CAN’T FUCKING SEE!” He yelled, his face turning red and entire body shaking now, “Gavin, I can’t fucking see anything –”

“Michael,” Gavin got up and knelt in front of him on both knees, his heart beating frantically, “are you being serious?”

“I can’t see you, Gavin, where are you?” Michael rubbed his eyes furiously, so hard that when he opened them again they were red.

_Calm down. Figure this out, he can’t be serious._ Gavin pushed his thoughts aside, holding Michael’s face in both his hands prior to speaking again, “Michael… _Please_ stop joking?”

Michael stared in his direction and Gavin’s heart broke into a million pieces when he realized he wasn’t looking _at_ him, “Gavin…”Michael sighed. He then inhaled and closed his eyes, but when he opened them they were brimming with tears and he wasn’t playing at all – because Michael doesn’t cry. Gavin has seen him get bones broken, lose games, watch movies, known him for five years and he’d only seen him cry ONCE. So when he kept making soft sounds, it became too real. “Gavin, I can’t… I can’t fucking _see_ anything…” he was going to lose it, Gavin could tell. “I can’t see you…” he repeated in a brittle voice.

Now is not the time to panic. Gavin knows that. But the wave of fear that washed over him is beyond his control, and he can physically feel himself trying not to have some sort of attack over this. But he had to be the one to figure this out and be strong, not his boyfriend who was currently sitting on the carpet and was one thousand percent (for whatever fucking reason) _blind_.

“Okay,” Gavin cleaned the tears off of Michael’s face, trying to contain his own, “okay. Okay, you probably just have something in them. An — a small infection. We need to…” he scrambled around, pulling his hands through his own hair in frustration while Michael covered his face with weak hands and cried silently, “we need to wash your eyes out. Y-yeah, let’s do that. We’ll wash them out and you’ll be fine, no problem! C-come on, up you get…”

Michael nodded and inhaled a shaky breath, “y-eah,” he said quietly, holding on to the side of the couch. “Gavin, please help me stand up…”

Gavin didn’t realize he hadn’t moved yet. He’d just sat there, in complete shock over the whole thing. It seemed almost cruel how today had started so right and turned so wrong so fast, almost like a bad joke. But he snapped out of it at the sound of Michael’s small whimper, standing up quickly and putting a strong and confident hand on Michael’s arm. “Just small steps, I’ll walk you to the bathroom. Small steps, take your time okay?”

“Okay.” Michael responded, holding his hand and reaching out when they got to the hallway and feeling the walls with his fingertips. He kept his eyes open and almost fell twice, walked at a snail’s pace but Gavin was more than happy to follow the speed.

Gavin went with and only walked by him – he didn’t pull Michael or try to make him go any faster. He was trying to focus on controlling his breathing, trying not to yell out in fright or shrink into the nearby corner and wonder why this was happening and how the fuck he was going to fix it.

The bathroom door was open, so the both of them went inside and Gavin stopped them in front of the mirror. He looked at Michael’s reflection, seeing the fear in his face reflected back in a way that made his stomach turn so violently he felt he might be sick. But he swallowed the sensations away, turning the tap on and listening to the water.

He was going to give him a cup or something to aid him, but thought twice. “Do you want me to help you?” Gavin asked quietly while watching Michael’s reflection instead of looking right at him, already knowing the answer.

Michael shook his head, “I got it.” He responded, holding his hands out and cupping them together. It took him a while to find the source of the water but as soon as he felt it he moved quickly, placing both hands under the running water. “Can you go get me some clothes?” he added, shy.

Gavin remembered that Michael was wearing nothing but his boxers, so he nodded in response. Then he almost literally smashed his face into the nearby wall in frustration at himself upon remembering that _Michael couldn’t see that gesture_. “Yeah,” he said for him to hear, “I’ll be… I’ll be right back.” He bolted out of the bathroom, careful not to run into Michael and throw him off-balance on the way. As soon as he got into their room, he ran to the closet that just yesterday Michael had sat in, organizing his clothes. He got on his knees and pulled out a black long sleeve from the far right stack and grey sweat pants from the left corner of the closet’s rack. Gavin stopped moving, allowing ten seconds to let himself lose his sanity for that short amount of time. He then roughly pulled the collar of his shirt up and dried off his tear-stricken face, getting back on his feet and going to the bathroom.

“Gav?” Michael asked, his hands gripping the edges of the sink and head bowed.

The water was still running, so Gavin turned the knob and held the clothes out to him. “It’s me,” he said. When Michael didn’t move to grab the clothing ( _ding ding ding asshole, he can’t **see** them_ ), Gavin didn’t stop himself; he fell against the wall, letting the back of his head hit it with a force that made his teeth feel the pain.

Michael looked around at the noise, eyes not landing on anything in specific – moving out of habit. “Gavin?” he asked.

Gavin sighed and moved closer to him, “’M right here, I’m here,” he grabbed Michael’s arm again, “can you walk with me?”

“My clothes?” he wondered.

“I have them,” Gavin responded, “do you think you can…”

Michael stayed quiet, his chin scrunched up while he fought against its need to wobble or something of the like. He shook his head twice, eyes disappointed. “I can handle it.”

“Are you sure…?”

“I said I can handle it, okay?”

Gavin almost flinched at his tone, but he decided against it. He just nodded, placing the clothes in Michael’s extended arms. “Do you need me to lead you to our—”

“I _don’t_ need your help. I just need to... I can… I…” Michael bundled the clothing in one hand, holding his free hand out and feeling around for the walls. He gripped the open door frame of the bathroom, walking as he held on. “I can… I can get there, okay?” his tone dropped its sharpness, this time trying to be soothing. “I’ll get there. Don’t worry about me alright?”

_You’re fucking blind, Michael, how do you expect me **not** worry? I’m scared sick about you, please let me help you I just want you to be okay. _ Gavin once more silenced his thoughts, nodding while saying “yeah.” He moved out of the way, pressing himself against the wall so Michael could (slowly) pass by him and finally be outside of the bathroom. Gavin quietly followed after him, pushing their bedroom door open and moving back before Michael could tell he’d helped. He was actually feeling anxious watching Michael, how his movements were careful and the look of permanent worry on his face was not something he was hiding very well. Michael made the trip to their room gingerly, eyes forward and eyebrows screwed in thought as he focused.

Gavin walked inside after him, leaving the door open to not make sound and draw attention to himself. Michael basically hugged the wall and when he reached the open closet door, he nearly fell in. Gavin was going to make a run for him but stopped when Michael stood straight again, sighing in relief that he caught himself before he fell. He then turned himself to face the bed and walked toward it. He didn’t have the distance measured properly though, so he didn’t stop when he got to it and hit his shins on the edge of the mattress. It made him flop face-first onto the fluffy white sheets, and he groaned on the impact but followed it by sitting up as rapidly as he possibly could. Gavin watched while biting his lips together, holding his harms to his chest to have to restrain himself from moving forward and helping – but Michael had asked to do it on his own. And if there’s something Gavin has always understood about Michael, is that he doesn’t ask for much so when he does? Gavin always complies.

Michael had dropped his clothing when he fell onto the mattress, so after he sat up his hands felt around the top of the bed with his eyes facing upwards as he focused on the task. The clothing was right _there_ , not ten inches from his left, but Michael didn’t know that. So Gavin looked on as he struggled, keeping his breathing slow and quiet. Then he smiled the smallest bit when Michael’s fingertips brushed the sweatpants and his face lit up, leaning forward and further balling his hand into a fist around the item of clothing. His other hand came forward and felt near the same spot, grabbing the tops of the sweat pants and pulling both close to himself in triumph. “Told you I could do it.” He said.

Gavin felt something like electricity travel up his spine, making him stand up straighter against the wall. “How’d… you know I stayed with you?”

“I can sort of tell when you’re around.” Michael answered, shaking the long sleeve then putting his arm through one of the holes. “Is that weird?”

Gavin shook his head, chuckling dryly. “No. But erm, you put your arm in the…” Michael sat on the bed, his head going in the wrong way and getting stuck in the left arm hole instead. “…wrong place.” Gavin took two tentative steps forward, his voice hopeful, “do you need help?”

“No.” Michael said in a muffled voice, “I got this.” He pulled the shirt off, nodding, “I got it. You... You can get me coffee.”

“I’m not leaving.” Gavin shook his head, “I’m not.”

Michael put the shirt on – properly this time – and rolled his eyes, “I can do this. It’s just a _little_ bit of um… blindness.”

“Are you _trying_ to be funny, because it’s not working.”

“Gavin, I’m serious.” Michael bit his bottom lip during the short pause and the temporary courageous mask he’d tried to wear started to fade as rapidly as it had appeared. “I really need to be alone right now.”

The thought ran over and over Gavin’s head probably a thousand times in the short span, but he eventually sighed. “Okay.” He got up and headed to the door, looking over his shoulder to give Michael another glance. He just sat there, now fully dressed, leaning forward with his arms resting on his knees and his expression was completely blank. Gavin went to the open door, walking out of it and slowly pulling it closed with a near-silent click.

As soon as it did close, he quietly let himself slide down the wall next to the door when he heard Michael’s choked-off sob ring clear as a bell from inside the bedroom followed by an anguished muffled scream. He somehow held himself together, kept his arms at his sides and eventually managed to walk away and give Michael his time to grieve.

Gavin had to turn the coffee pot on again to re-heat the batch he’d made earlier. He fought against every protective instinct he had to stay in the kitchen and not leave it to help when he heard Michael in the bathroom, apparently struggling to brush his teeth if his yells of “fucking cock sucking toothpaste stay FUCKING PUT” were anything to go by. Gavin tried to distract himself and made omelets for the both of them, but Michael still hadn’t come out of their room when he went back to it after finishing in the restroom. The eggs were ready so Gavin figured he’d make the pancakes after all in order to kill more time. He even set everything up on two plates, preparing Michael’s coffee exactly how he liked it and setting it by the plate. He waited in the hallway, scratching his chin and lifting his head up when he heard a crash come from inside the room.

He further fought with himself internally: _should I go in and see what’s going on? Maybe that would upset Michael, would it upset him? Or should I just wait out here where he asked I stay? But what if he was injured, what if he was bleeding? He wouldn’t be able to see if he was hurt, would he?_

His thoughts were cut short when three knocks were rapped on the door. He stared at the door to their room, a little confused but walked to it nonetheless. “Michael?” he asked.

“I need help.” Michael’s voice called out from inside, thick and raspy.

Gavin nodded and put his hand on the door knob and pushed, but it wouldn’t open. “Can you move away from the door for me, please?”

“’M sorry.” Michael muttered, and more sounds came while he probably moved over.

 Gavin opened the door carefully; sticking his head in first to make sure Michael wasn’t in the way of getting hit by it. He then stepped inside, seeing Michael sitting on the floor with his back resting on the wall. He looked miserable, the bottoms of his eyes were as puffy as the lids and he was sniffling, nose and cheeks matching the color of the whites around his eyes. He looked defeated.

“I ran into the dresser and knocked something over. I don’t know what it was. Sorry if I broke it.” He seemed tired of everything, and rightfully so.

Gavin didn’t pay his unnecessary apology any mind – he can get another dock for his iPhone anywhere – and bent down next to him. “Take my hand, I’ll help you up.” Gavin reached out and touched Michael’s wrist with his fingertips, to let him feel his hand was there. “Come on.”

Michael breathed in another rattled breath, finally gripping Gavin’s hand and letting himself be half-carried into a standing position. He didn’t let go of Gavin’s hand though, he instead squeezed tighter and kept staring straight ahead. “Gav?” he said in the scared voice the both of them had been trying to hide.

“Yeah, I’m right here. It’s me, I’m right here.” Gavin exhaled a huge gust of air, nearly coughing in the process and talking fast.

“Gavin, I’m… what’s happening to me?” Michael sniffed again, licking his lips anxiously.

Shaking his head, Gavin answered him as honestly as he could. “I don’t know. But we’re going to figure it out. Okay?”

Michael nodded, “I’m hungry.”

The first big smile of the day appeared on Gavin’s face and he nodded, “yeah. I made food already.” He paused and looked at the open door, “would you like to walk alone?”

Michael immediately shook his head, “no.”

And Gavin didn’t need to hear the _I’m scared_ out loud to know that it was there. He only carefully and slowly helped Michael walk out of their room. Gavin made small comments on their way, just letting Michael know that they’d change from carpet to tile and things of that nature. It took them two minutes to get to the dining table, but it was worth it for the tiny grin that Michael gave him.

“Coffee.” He sighed dreamily when he smelled it, letting go of Gavin then sticking his hands out in front of him as he felt around for the chairs he knew were there. He pulled one back and felt the seat cushion to be able to tell where it was, then sat down with a content ‘hmm’ sound.

Gavin sat on the chair next to him, trying to figure out how they were going to talk about the big purple elephant in the room. He picked his coffee up, taking a sip and poking at his eggs. Gavin had actually gotten so caught up in the whole clusterfuck of what was happening this morning, that he didn’t realize he was actually starving. And upon further thought it wasn’t hard to remember why; a night full of nearly two hours’ worth of non-stop sex with an _especially_ insatiable boyfriend can do that to a person. So he ate and ate (stupidly so) drinking his coffee and not noticing that Michael sat there twiddling his thumbs with his head down.

“ _Shit_.” Gavin hissed, promising he’d probably hurl himself out the nearest window next time he got the proper opportunity. “Michael, do you need my help?”

Michael shrugged a shoulder, “I guess…”

Gavin scooted his chair toward him, leaving his own breakfast unfinished. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Michael.”

“Not your fault.” Michael smiled sadly, sitting up straighter.

Gavin picked up his fork, cutting the omelet into a triangle and holding it up in front of Michael’s face. “Ah.”

“If you ‘here comes the choo-choo train’ me, I swear to fucking God.” Michael warned him sternly, but he did open his mouth and closed it when Gavin put the food inside. Gavin pulled the fork back out and Michael chewed and sighed for the umpteenth time, in complete bliss. “Keep it comin’.” He asked.

Gavin chuckled, “sure thing.” And cut up another bit of the fluffy meal, holding it wordlessly to Michael until he smelled it and opened his mouth. He rattled his brain, trying to see if there was anything in particular (anything LOGICAL ant RATIONAL) that could have happened yesterday to cause this. And then when he remembered something, he nearly dropped the fork before it reached Michael’s mouth. “Michael,” he started.

Michael chewed and swallowed, signaling for more. “What.”

Gavin gave him another piece then bit the inside of his own lip in thought. “I think I know what happened.”

“How do you figure?” Michael asked him, “coffee please?” he added timidly.

Putting the fork down, Gavin picked up Michael’s cup of coffee. He slowly brought it forward, careful not to let any of the contents spill over the eddge on the way. “Do you remember what happened yesterday? Careful, it’s really hot.” he added the second bit in a hushed voice, ever so gently tipping the mug forward onto Michael’s waiting lips so he could take a small sip. “With Ray’s errand?”

Michael nodded after taking another bigger gulp, “yeah?”

“I think you might have hit your head on something when that prick crashed into the back of Ray’s car.”

“Oh, and you think this has nothing at all to do with the book Ray was fucking around with?”

Gavin put the cup of coffee down, lowering an eyebrow at Michael. “What?”

Michael blinked slowly, “the book. The one Ray read out of?”

“Try to be realistic, yeah?” Gavin forked another piece of the omelet and held it in front of Michael, watching him take it and chew it before he swallowed it noisily and opened his mouth for another.

“I _am_ being realistic,” Michael spoke around the next bit, not able to see Gavin’s reproachful glare for eating with his mouth full. “What if that’s what did this?”

Gavin rolled his eyes, “donut.”

“Don’t you roll your eyes at me.” Michael snapped.

“Um,” Gavin eyed him suspiciously while grabbing the cup of coffee and moving it to him once more, “I… didn’t?”

Michael tipped his head back along with Gavin’s movements to get the last of his coffee, and after he drank it he gave him a look. “I can hear it in your voice.”

“You’re scaring me.” Gavin put the empty cup down.

“That’s cute,” Michael said while standing slowly, “I’m the one who wakes up blind as a fucking bat and _he’s_ the one who’s scared.”

“That’s not very fair.” Gavin got up with him, taking the dishes to the sink while Michael merely kind of stood there with his arms at his sides. “I’m allowed to be a little worried.”

"Tell you what,” Michael declared as he took a few careless steps forward, “the next time you get up in the morning—”

“Michael, there’s—” Gavin sputtered.

“I’m talking, Gavvers,”

“—But the—”

“—Next time you get up in the morning and aren’t able to see worth two shits, I give you full-blown permission to be terrified. Until then, you can just—” And that was all Michael got out word-wise, because he walked right into the chair Gavin had forgot to push back in to the table. He fell loudly too, swearing on the way down to the cold tile kitchen floor. When he landed he just sat where he landed, shoulders slumped and a pissed off expression on his face. “Couldn’t have warned me a little.”

“…I tried?” Gavin offered, sitting next to him.

“Call Ray.”

Gavin reached out and smoothed out Michael’s messy hair from his face, laughing lightly when some of it went back into place anyway. “What for?”

Michael’s voice dripped with heavy sarcasm when he next spoke. “Ah! Nevermind, then! Let’s just let Michael stay this way, it’ll be a fucking _blast_.”

“Fine fine, alright. I’ll call him.”

Michael rubbed his eyes aggressively, he even actually growled a little. “I don’t fucking under _STAND_.”

“You going to stay there?” Gavin asked him, getting up.

“Not like I’m gonna run off any time soon.”

“It’d be a pain to _see_ that, eh? Right?”

Michael didn’t really know where Gavin was, but he lifted his eyes to where he heard Gavin’s voice come from and shot daggers out of his eyes at him. “Really, Gavin?”

“Too soon.” Gavin announced, backing up, “got it.” He turned around and ran to the living room, picking his jeans up from the floor where he’d left them after Michael practically tore the top button off to get Gavin out of them last night. He dug through his back pocket, picking his phone out and unlocking the damn thing. His fingers flicked through his contacts swiftly, landing on Ray then touching the green button to call him.

The line rang four times, then a sleepy voice answered. “It’s seven thirty in the morning, this better be fucking good.”

“Michael’s blind.” Gavin stated, no pretenses or time to bullshit around.

Ray actually laughed, “your love’s blinded him or some shit, what is this?”

Gavin groaned then spoke slowly, “Ray. Michael. Is. Blind.”

“Blind as in ‘he can’t see’ blind?”

“No, blind as in he can’t hear blind,” Gavin was about to start yelling really soon, but he looked back to the kitchen floor and Michael still sat there, tapping his thumbs on his knees vacantly. He inhaled and exhaled deeply before talking again. “He woke up, and he… He couldn’t see.”

Ray sounded more alert now, “just out of nowhere?”

“Yeah. And he… Michael thinks you did this.”

“Excuse me?” Ray scoffed, and then his voice sounded distant as he yelled “why?!”

“He thinks that book you were faffing about with yesterday did it?”

Ray’s voice was clear once again, as if he’d put his phone down to get dressed. “That’s a load of horse shit. That stuff isn’t real.”

Gavin shook his head, “then what’s happening?”

 “I don’t know. But he’s not cursed, that shit’s not a thing.”

“Ray, I’m…” he looked again, and Michael was now whistling. He kept squeezing his eyes shut then opening them again, repeating the process over and over. “I’m really fucking scared.”

“Give me two hours. I have to stop by the office to do some shit, but I swear I’ll be there as soon as I can. We’ll figure this out, Gav.”

Gavin nodded and hung up. He then walked back to the kitchen, not making a sound on the way. Maybe Michael heard him – or felt his presence, as he said earlier – because he sort of turned to face him. But he didn’t say anything if he did, only continued tapping his fingers on the tops of his legs. Gavin sat back on his heels, looking right into Michael’s face. He didn’t say anything, he didn’t even touch him. He just sat there and looked at him for a moment… and proving his earlier statement to be true, Michael looked right back at him. Granted he couldn’t see him, but he somehow knew Gavin was sitting right there, right at that eye level.

“Gav?” he asked again, the question becoming a normalcy for them.

Instead of speaking, Gavin leaned forward and put a light hand on Michael’s jaw. He moved closer and pressed their lips together, keeping his eyes open until he saw Michael’s flutter shut. And for whatever the reason might be, maybe because he was just as scared and freaked out as Gavin was and needed to be with him this way more than he realized, Michael returned the kiss with want and such enthusiasm that he nearly made Gavin fall on to his back. The four seconds that they pulled apart to catch their breath, he kissed Gavin’s jaw and neck, then really put everything he had into the kiss. He licked and sucked every bit of Gavin’s bottom lip, biting it gently and tugging at it before letting it go and going back to kissing him softly. Michael made a sound midway between a groan and a sigh when Gavin let out the smallest moan, frantically moving forward and Gavin could read his body language well enough to know what he wanted.

“Help.” Michael mumbled with his eyes still closed.

Gavin opened his and swallowed, seeing Michael kneeling in front of him. He knew exactly what he was trying to do, so Gavin nodded and put his hands on either side of Michael’s waist. He used as much strength as he could pull from this position, and hauled Michael forward so that he landed where he wanted to be; straddling Gavin. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled quietly when he moved his head up too quickly and hit Michael’s chin.

“Don’t mention it,” he hissed urgently, wincing but going back to the kiss with his eyes still closed.

Maybe fifteen minutes into it later (and while trying to ignore the fact that his jeans now felt exactly five sizes too small for him) Gavin reluctantly pulled himself away. He slowly brought his lips back to Michael’s, kissing him then moving away and doing it again. It was his way of putting an end to it, for the time being. He touched his forehead to Michael’s, eyes open and taking in his flushed cheeks and the barely visible freckles lightly brushed on the bridge of his nose. Michael kept his eyes shut, just staying where he was and trying to catch his breath.

When he finally spoke, it sounded like he was about to cry. “What if I never see you again?”

Gavin shook his head, tossing the thought out. “Not gonna happen. You’re going to see me again.”

“But what if I don’t?” his eyes were still closed, but he cried anyway. Silently was his way, so he made no sound. “What if I don’t, Gavin? What then? I mean… Fuck.”

“You let me worry about that.” Gavin kissed him again then hugged him tightly. “I’ll fix it.”

 

* * *

  
Michael had hard time doing just about everything.

When Ray called to let them know he’d be there in twenty minutes, Michael insisted that he could get himself ready. And to his credit he was able to put his jeans and shirt on, but when it got down to the socks and shoes department he stumbled (no pun intended). So he reluctantly sat back on the sofa with his arms crossed, lips in a hard stubborn line and angry eyebrows set as he exhaled sharply through his nose. Gavin put his sock on, then his shoe and tied the laces snugly, repeating the process with the other foot.

"Coulda done it myself.” Michael mumbled darkly, “’s not that hard. I’m just a little—”

Gavin smiled while standing and resting his hands on top of Michael’s thighs before kissing him softly to shut him the hell up. He kissed him until he felt light headed, and judging by how heavy Michael was breathing when he was done he figured it had the same effect on him. “Be quiet.” He said.

Michael grinned back in a lazy daze, “okay.”

The doorbell sounded and both of their heads looked in its direction, but only one of them stood and went to answer it. Gavin opened it and let Ray in, not even bothering with greetings.

“Hey,” Ray walked straight past Gavin and sat next to Michael, “how you feeling?”

Michael stared straight ahead, “tippity top.”

Ray looked up at Gavin, and widened his eyes. “Seriously?”

“What?” Gavin asked in a confused voice.

“You’re being serious?” And then Ray lifted up his hand and turned to Michael, waving it in his face. “Oh fuck. You’re serious?”

“About _what_?!” Gavin yelled.

“He really can’t see?”

“Yeah I can, I just like pretending for shits and fucking giggles.” Michael would have probably given Ray a left hook if he was able to make sure he would land the blow. But instead he just flopped back on the couch, away from Ray.

Gavin nodded, “what do we do?”

“Take him to fucking surgery maybe? Why haven’t you taken him to the hospital, are you dumb?!” Ray looked at Michael, “holy shit. You’re actually blind. You’re fucking blind, you are _blind_.”

“Thanks for the update.” Michael muttered kicking at him and smirking when he actually landed the hit on Ray’s shin.

“Did you tell anyone?” Gavin asked, biting at the nail of his index finger.

Ray rubbed the sore spot on his leg and spared Michael a dirty look then made eye-contact with Gavin. “No. Was I supposed to?”

“No.” Michael and Gavin said simultaneously.

"No, it’s best we not do that.” Gavin sat down by Michael’s other side, thinking. “Do you really think the spell—”

“It’s not _real_.” Ray cut him off.

Michael kicked his feet up again, almost throwing a fit. “Can we just fucking take me to a doctor or something?”

"And tell them what?” Gavin offered, “that you just woke up blind?!”

“At least we’ll be doing more than sitting around shooting the shit about the fact that ‘ooh poor Mai-coh’,” Gavin groaned loudly when Michael began mocking his accent in that high-pitched voice, “‘he cahn’t see ehnything!’ Fucking Christ, Gavin.”

Gavin was about to offer a retort when Ray got up, “let’s just go talk to Geoff.”

“Does he have a degree in Medicine that I’m not aware of?” Michael asked.

“I don’t know okay, I don’t fucking know what to do.” Ray started to freak out, “you call me at the ass crack of dawn to tell me that one of my best friends is blind, and I feel like I had something to do with this—”

“—why?”

“—because you were fine until I asked you to go out with me yesterday. And what if the fucking car hit me hard, what if – what if, Michael are you sure you didn’t hit your head or anything?” Ray pulled and tugged at his fingers, panic written all over his face.

Michael shook his head, “I did not.”

“Fuck.” Ray sighed.

They stayed quiet.

Michael reached his hand out to his left, feeling around until he grabbed Gavin’s hand. After intertwining their fingers together, he leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees again while hanging his head low and rubbing the back of his head.

"What do we do?” Gavin asked nobody in particular.

He saw Michael shrug.

Ray ran a hand through his short hair and said nothing.

Then Michael started to laugh.

It started off as a chuckle, a dry little sound and eventually escalated until he was laughing so hard he had to let Gavin’s hand go to hold his stomach. Ray and Gavin looked at one another, unsure of if they should join or just check to make sure he hadn’t somehow gone crazy.

When Michael didn’t explain his sudden outburst, Ray cleared his throat to speak. “Um. Got something funny there, buddy?”

Michael shook his head and waved a hand in no particular direction, “I was just gonna…” he then snickered again, eyes crinkled.  “I was just gonna suggest we watch a movie to kill some time.”

Gavin and Ray locked eyes, laughed forcefully. Michael flipped them the bird, crossing his arms and sitting back further into the cushions.

“Wait.” Michael gripped the side of the sofa, stood carefully. Gavin watched him, hands extended just a bit in case Michael needed him. “If you read from that book because Gavin pissed you off, why the fuck am _I_ the one who can’t see.”

Ray groaned, “for the last time, that shit isn’t _real_.”

Michael faced the front door, hand on his hip and almost shouting angrily. “Really Ray, because it seems like my inability to see feels pretty fuckin’ real.”

When he continued facing the door waiting for an answer, one of them felt really bad for Michael yelling at a door. “I’m over here.” Ray added, tapping Michael’s shoulder and trying to stifle a laugh.

Gavin covered his mouth failing to hide _his_ chuckle, and instantly regretted it when Michael (very correctly) turned to face him with the same angry glimmer he got in his eye any time Gavin happened to do something that annoyed him.

“Is this funny to you, Gavin?” he said, voice already higher.

Gavin shook his head, “you were talking to the door!”

“Oh, so it’s funny because I was talking to the door.” Michael nodded, taking a step forward, “fantastic.”

“It’s not funny Michael, I’m sorry!” Ray leaned over and punched Gavin’s arm when he laughed again, but he couldn’t help it the image had been hilarious to him. “I’m sorry Michael, please don’t… Slowly walk away from me!”

Michael had his lips pursed, took two confident steps forward then stopped. He held his hand out backwards, and Gavin saw him inhale a deep breath. “Ray.”

“Yes?” Ray walked to him, eyebrows raised.

“This is the only time I’ll ever ask you to do this.” His voice sounded flat, bratty even. “Please hold my hand and help me to my bedroom.”

Gavin felt a little hurt, but he was still smiling at the earlier incident. So he just shrugged a shoulder in response to the questioning look Ray gave him, poking the inside of his cheek with his tongue.

While they walked away, Gavin slumped over on his side so that he was laying down on the entire length of the sofa. He pulled his legs up, staring straight at the wall ahead while counting the seconds and listening to the thumps and the one agitated “God damn it, Ray.” That sounded from his and Michael’s bedroom.

When Ray came back, he was shaking his head and puffing his cheeks out in a heavy sigh. “You’re an asshole.” He declared, sitting heavily on top of Gavin’s legs.

“It was funny. And besides, this will be gone soon.”

Ray didn’t say anything to that.

Gavin pulled his legs out from under him, sitting up again. “Right?” he asked.

“I don’t know, man.”

“Maybe… Maybe we should just let him sleep? I mean, who’s to say he didn’t just actually bump his head and this is completely temporary?” Gavin’s voice was hopeful, optimistic.

 Ray nodded, “don’t really have a choice. He did tell me he was sleepy, so maybe you’re right.”

They decided it’d be the best option for now, so Ray got up and started turning on Gavin’s Xbox. Gavin got a random game out of the nearby shelf, placing it in and tossing a remote at Ray. They killed time – a lot of it, nearly seven hours – switching between games and films. They’d take a few moments every once in a while to pause the game or movie so Gavin could go check up on Michael, who kept sleeping soundly on the bed. During one of the stretch breaks they gave themselves, Ray ordered pizza from the nearby delivery place with every kind of meat topping and went to get the door a half hour later when it arrived. When the food had been brought inside, a set of knocks in the form of a fist pounding on the wall came from inside the room where Michael had been sleeping.

“Get the plates out?” Gavin called over his shoulder to Ray after putting the six pack of beer he’d pulled out of the fridge down on the kitchen table. Ray nodded at him and Gavin went to his room, knocking on the door twice.

“Come in.” Michael said in hoarse reply.

Gavin opened the door slowly, poking his head inside. “Michael?”

“Bathroom.” He said simply, his head down.

"Okay.” Gavin stepped inside the room and walked to him, holding his arm out and grazing Michael’s fingers with his own once more to let him know he was standing there. Michael wrapped his entire hand around Gavin’s wrist, pulling himself up onto his feet and began to walk. His hand still felt around in front of and around himself, brushing against the nearest wall he could find as he went along. Gavin looked at Michael’s face, seeing he looked very concentrated and his curiosity got the better of him. “Michael?”

“What, Gavin.” He was using a very quiet, gentle tone.

“Why do you… Feel around the walls even though I’m already holding on to you?”

Michael’s mouth curved up into a smile, and they walked inside the bathroom together.

“Pizza’s great!” Ray’s voice called out from the living room.

"Pizza?” Michael grinned, “good.” Gavin agreed, moving to leave him so he could have some privacy if needed, but Michael didn’t let go of his wrist. “Stay here.” He said simply.

Gavin nodded.

And he stood by Michael, even after he let go of his wrist. He helped him locate his toothbrush and loaded it up with toothpaste for him, handing it over then watching him work in the reflection of the giant mirror in front of the sink. Michael rinsed his mouth then washed his face with cold water, holding a hand out in waiting until Gavin put a clean towel in it so he could pat his face dry. It wasn’t until then that Gavin realized that it felt like forever since he’d seen Michael with his glasses, since he had no use for them. He really missed them.

“It’s a reminder.” Michael said after the silence.

Gavin looked at him with a questioning expression, “what?”

“I hold on to the walls because they’re a reminder.”

“Of?”

Michael closed his eyes and sighed, opening them again. “That this is all real. I keep… I keep waiting for somebody to fucking punch me or something so I can wake up, because I feel like this isn’t really happening.”

“I… I know it’s really hard for you, Michael. But believe me when I say that I’m just… I’m trying to make as much sense out of this as I can.” Gavin grabbed Michael’s hand, squeezing it. “Tell you what—”

“Did you put more ointment on it?” Michael interrupted him.

Gavin lowered an eyebrow, “ointment? On what?”

“Your hand.”

“My…” Gavin pulled his arm back, realizing he’d been ignoring the dull pain radiating from his palm all day successfully. He inspected it closely, seeing it was still a bit raw but okay for the most part. “No. I haven’t.”

Michael laughed, shaky. “This is fucking creepy.” He reached out for Gavin’s arm and turned to the open door.

“What is?” Gavin wondered, walking him back to the kitchen.

The disbelieving smile was still on Michael’s face when he spoke. “It’s feels… Like I lost one sense and gained fifteen more. Everything’s sharper, I can even hear you _blinking_ sometimes.”

“You serious?” Gavin asked.

Michael nodded, feeling the chair Gavin handed over to his side prior to sitting on it.

The three of them ate their pizza with as much normalcy as they could. Gavin threw Ray a dirty look when he opened his mouth to probably make a joke about Gavin having to help Michael eat. “Don’t.” Gavin mouthed to him slowly, holding the folded up pizza into Michael’s mouth for him to bite down on. Ray nodded and rolled his eyes, “fine.”

“So what’s it like…?” Ray asked quietly when they were done, drinking out of his cup of soda.

Gavin looked at Michael, sitting up straighter.

Michael shrugged, “I don’t know how to explain it other than ‘dark as dicks’, truth be told.”

“Does it feel like anything?” Ray added.

“Um… It makes me feel dizzy.” Michael licked his lips then bit the inside of his top one in thought. “I feel like there are steps everywhere or something? Like… I’m going to trip down one and fall. Again. And I don’t know man, it just weirds me out. It’s frustrating too.”

Gavin nodded, “I can see that.”

"Well, _that’s_ not very sensitive of you, Gavin.” Ray added slyly, earning him a light punch to the shoulder from Gavin. “Ow.”

"What if it was the book? I mean… Nothing else is really making any sense.” Gavin sat back in his chair, interlocking his fingers behind his head. He hoped somebody finally agreed with him since he didn’t want to be _that_ guy that believes in the supernatural, but he might just have to learn to love that title if it means getting Michael’s sight back.

Ray groaned loudly, “fucking sake, that stuff _isn’t real._ ”

“Your friend that sent you to that store in the first place seems to think it is. And the old lady sure as fuck thinks it is.” Michael nodded, “Gavin’s right. Maybe we should go back.”

Ray shook his head, “no. What we _are_ going to do, is take you to the doctor’s tomorrow.”

“I believe in it.” Gavin said with a grim expression.

Ray looked at him, “what?”

“The… Magic stuff. I felt something.”

“Felt something about what?” Ray rounded on him, standing to his left. “The store?”

Gavin shook his head, “Yesterday… I…. I remember when you read that. I felt dizzy.”

Michael felt around where he heard Gavin’s voice coming from, tapping his leg to get his attention. “Then why did _I_ wake up like this?”

“We’re not actually having this conversation, are we?” Ray sounded frustrated, “this is stupid. Magic doesn’t exist, and there’s a perfectly logical reason for this that I’m sure a mother fucking DOCTOR can explain to us.”

"Ray I swear to God,” Michael threatened, “I may not be able to see you, but I will still drop kick you into the ground if you don’t shut up.”

Ray gave them both his patented _fine, whatever_ look and Gavin bypassed making a comment about it.

“What did it say?” Gavin asked Ray, “the thing you read.”

“Fuck if I remember.” Ray blew out a puff of air.

“We have to go back.” Michael sounded excited, “what time is it?”

Gavin looked at the wall, “six thirty seven.”

“God damn it.” Michael’s previously joyful expression fell into one of annoyance. “No chance it’s open past five, is there Ray.”

Ray shrugged, “don’t think so. And who knows if she’s still there, she told me she was having a closing sale anyway.”

“So I’m stuck like this.” Michael nodded, like it only made sense that this was his luck.

“Just till tomorrow?” Gavin tried, giving him a smile. “We’ll go first thing. She’ll be there.”

Ray shook his head, “you’ll be wasting your time—”

“Gavin, help me up so I can kick his ass?” Michael held on to the edge of the table, his eyebrows set in anger.

 

* * *

  

The following morning, Michael was awake first.

Gavin opened his eyes and saw Michael facing him, hand on Gavin’s jaw. He wasn’t doing anything other than moving his fingertips, running feather-light touches over Gavin’s face. He was doing it so that it almost tickled Gavin, but he suppressed the feeling and made himself comfortable. Michael’s eyes were open, but they were glazed over – the firm set of his mouth said that he was concentrating very hard. His fingers moved over Gavin’s cheekbones, gently pinching the skin over the area the slightest amount between his thumb and index finger. Then Michael’s hand moved, softly moving over the bridge of Gavin’s nose with a smile tugging the edges of his lips. Gavin closed his eyes when he saw Michael’s fingers move towards them, and grinned when he ran his careful yet calloused digits over his eyelids.

Moving his own hand up, Gavin pulled Michael’s closer and kissed the back of it before pulling it away and sitting up slowly. He opened his eyes and Michael was still lying down, still looking at the same spot.

“What are you doing?” Gavin asked him, not accusing only curious.

Michael didn’t show any signs of having heard him. He stayed quiet, facing the same spot and seemingly lost in thought.

“Michael?” Gavin tried again, leaning down and pressing a kiss to his cheek. “You alright?” he asked after sitting up again.

“Can we go wash up?” he asked, voice brittle.

Gavin looked at him and swallowed the questions he wanted to ask. “Yes.”

Once inside the bathroom, Gavin placed Michael in front of the sink. He left his toothbrush (toothpaste already on it) by his hand, taking his own and wetting it under the tap before beginning to scrub at his own teeth. He did it for about a minute and looked at Michael in the mirror’s reflection; he hadn’t moved an inch.

“Vre you okay?” Gavin asked through the foam in his mouth.

Michael jolted, as if Gavin’s voice had sent an electric shock through him. He nodded, hand reaching out and clasping the end of his toothbrush. “’M fine.” He murmured, and began to scrub.

Gavin nodded at him, spat out the contents in his mouth and rinsed off with mouthwash all while keeping his eyes glued on Michael. And after they were both done, Michael left the bathroom by himself, hands on the wall for guidance but moving in a much more agile way than the previous day. Gavin dried his mouth carelessly with the back of his hand and followed after him, not making any sound.

Michael was muttering under his breath as he went.

“Carpet floor, carpet floor…” he stopped in front of his and Gavin’s bedroom, poking his foot in and rubbing his toe against the floor in there, “wooden floor. Carpet floor hallway and bedroom closet, wooden floor bedroom…” he pulled his foot back and kept walking down the hall, hands still up and feeling. “Wall, wall…” he felt the entirety of it, small careful steps. “Carpet floor hallway and sitting room, wooden floor bedroom. Wall…” he walked further, still mumbling and keeping his head straight. Once he reached the kitchen, Gavin crossed his arms and watched him go. Michael lifted his foot again, touched the floor and spoke to himself. “Tile. Tile kitchen, carpet hallway and sitting room, wooden floor bedroom. Tile in the kitchen. Bedroom closet carpet.”

Gavin had enough.

“Michael, what are you doing?” he asked, voice much more sharp than he’d intended for it to be.

Michael shrugged, standing in the kitchen with his hand on the counter. “With what?”

“Why are you…” But Gavin’s question was cut short, brain linking it all together and pretty much hearing it click in place. He walked closer to Michael, pulled his hand off the counter and instead placed it in his own. “Why are you doing this?”

Michael once again moved his left shoulder up and down. “I’ono.”

Taking his other hand and putting it on Michael’s jaw, Gavin looked straight into his face. He stared at his eyes, still as brown as ever but the light in them was gone; just two orbs, useless and for the time being. There was no brightness to them, the glimmer they’d get when he locked eyes with Gavin gone and replaced with a vacant glare that never seemed to end.

“I miss you too, okay?” Gavin said quietly.

Michael seemed to want to pull back and away, but he thought better of it and stayed put. “You don’t know what this is like…”

Gavin shook his head, squeezing Michael’s hand, “I don’t. I’m trying to understand, I want to fix this – and we will fix this – but for now please… Please don’t give up on me.”

Michael was blinking rapidly. “I need to be…” he used the wrist of his free hand to rub at his eyes roughly, “ready.”

“For what?” Gavin leaned in, soft chaste kiss to Michael’s lips. “What for, Michael?”

Michael shut his eyes, opened them and Gavin stared at his eyelashes, thick and stuck together due to the tears he was keeping in control. “In case we don’t fucking figure this out. In case I’m stuck like this, in case I don’t get to ever see you aga—” he let his head drop forward, landing on the crook between Gavin’s shoulder and neck.

Not knowing what to do (because how in the fuck are you supposed to comfort somebody at a time like this?) Gavin only held him and let him do his crying. He knew they should probably be getting in the car already, driving to the stupid store but he decided not to for the time being. Michael needed this, needed to have a moment where he let it all sink in again; he needed to know it was real. And if knowing it was real made it easier for him to deal with, then Gavin would give him that.

They stood there, Michael’s sounds eventually fading to soft intakes of breath and the occasional sniffle. And Gavin kept his hand in Michael’s hair and moved his fingers through it, placing a small kiss on the same spot of his head every now and again.

When they were both quiet, Michael pulled back. He pulled the collar of his shirt up and cleaned his face of any evidence of his emotional meltdown, sighing and finally moving a little further away from Gavin. He grabbed on to the counter and walked along the kitchen while not letting it go, not until Gavin saw him touch the living room floor and he let go of the marble edge.

“Gonna lie down.” He announced.

Gavin only nodded. “Let me know if you need me.”

"Will do.”

The subject was dropped.

Ray called a few minutes later, asking if they needed him to come back. Gavin told him he’d let him know if they forgot how to get there, since Michael had a car of his own anyway.

He had also told Gavin that he’d be waiting for the call so they could go see a doctor later.

They ate in silence.

Michael refused to let Gavin help him; he grabbed his pancake from the plate and rolled it up, eating it like it was a taco. He denied Gavin’s assistance when getting his glass of juice, and didn’t even so much as flinch when he dropped it.

“Sponge.” He said simply to Gavin, face straight.

“I can clean it up, don’t worry about it.” Gavin was already by the sink, wringing the fabric out of a nearby dish rag to use it.

Michael shook his head and held his hand out, “I made the mess, I’ll clean it up.”

“Michael,” Gavin sighed and walked closer, kneeling by the mess on the floor. He picked the glass up, wiping by it. “You can’t see.”

“I’m fucking _aware_ of that.” Michael spat.

"Watch your tone, yeah?” Gavin looked up at him, frustrated. “You know I don’t like that. Not when you’re really angry.” He knew Michael was angry. He knew he was upset, God he knew how difficult it must be.

And Michael’s face softened, he nodded twice. “I’m sorry.” He said quietly, burying his face in his hands and rubbing it hard. When he pulled back, his face was red and he looked even more frustrated than before. “I just don’t… I don’t want you to get used to having to watch after me.”

Gavin smiled at him, “not like I’d have much of a choice.”

“I deserved that.” Michael grinned, “but still, don’t get used to it. I need to learn to take care of—”

“Why are you going on about that again?” Gavin got up and took the rag to the sink, turning the water on and running it under it to rid it of the juice. “You’re talking as if this is going to be a permanent thing.”

He watched Michael shrug, “you never know.”

“I _do_ know,” Gavin hung the cloth on the edge of the sink to dry and turned to face Michael with a hand on his hip, the other leaning on the counter. “And I do know you’re not going to be like this forever.”

“It never hurts to be prepared.” Michael finished and got up, holding his hand out in a waiting gesture. “Let’s go.”

 

* * *

 

They forgot the name of the shop and Google Maps turned out to be a bust. So Gavin reluctantly called Ray back, and they waited for him to pick them up and take the long quiet road back to it.

The bells hanging from the store’s door jingled loudly as Ray pushed it open, poking his head in before walking in. Inside there’s a draft and it feels lonelier than the last time they were here, even though there’s no more or less people than during that instance. Michael is walking extra carefully and clinging to Gavin’s hand with vigor; this is his first time stepping foot out of their apartment since this entire thing happened. His palm is sweaty and usually Gavin would pull his hand away and playfully say ‘ech’ but right now, there’s no reason to do something like that. He only holds on to Michael tighter, leading him quietly and warning him to watch out for the single step at the door going down.

“Hello?” Ray yelledout, looking around. They didn't hear a response so he stood on tiptoe and called out a loud “excuse me?”

“Is anybody even here?” Michael asked very worriedly.

Gavin shrugged, “I don’t see anybody.”

“…is the store even a store anymore?” Michael wonders again, fingernails digging crescent shapes into the back of Gavin’s hand when he squeezes tighter.

“Everything looks the same.” Gavin offers, looking around.

“Sadly you’ve met me on my last day.” That familiar voice responds from somewhere nearby.

“Mrs. Josstone?” Ray says, turning around.

Mrs. Josstone comes out through the door behind the front counter that holds the cash register surrounded by low priced last minute trinkets set up for people to observe and consider while paying for their items.  She offers them a smile and sets the empty box she was holding down on the counter, picking things up and putting them inside slowly, carefully. “What can I do you for, boys?”

Gavin and Ray exchange a look, not really sure how to say it. “We have a… Tiny bit of problem.” Ray finally replied, holding out his index finger and thumb at a small distance from one another up to his eye.

“Of what kind?” she asks, carefree as ever.

“Our friend might have kind of sort of gone blind?” Ray chuckled once awkwardly, then went silent.

Mrs. Josstone looked at Gavin and quirked an eyebrow, “why does this have anything to do with me?”

And that’s where things got a little more uncomfortable.

Gavin started to fidget with his free hand and finally put it in his jeans’ pocket, rocking back on his heels then standing straight again. Ray scratched a phantom itch on the back of his head and smiled ruefully, deciding to speak again.

“Um… Well, they think something in here did it.” He grinned like it was no big deal, “them, not me.”

Mrs. Josstone surveyed Ray, seizing him up with gleaming eyes. She seemed to be lost in thought and was quiet for such a long time that Michael asked if she’d left. But then suddenly she laughed, throaty and real.

Ray shook his head, “I _know_ , right?!” he turned to Gavin, “told you this wasn’t real.”

“Oh dear boy,” Mrs. Josstone put the box down and walked around the counter to them, a huge smile on her face. She stepped up to Ray and put both her hands on either side of his face, smacking him lightly. “Yee of little faith.”

Ray looked petrified; he’s not good with people getting in his personal space, let alone touching him. But this was an older lady, and Gavin could almost see the words _don’t push granny off, it’d be rude_ running around his mind. He just stood there and nodded, looking away from her when he spoke. “What’s that mean?”

She put her hands off and stepped back, looking from Michael to Gavin – both of them were looking in her direction, but only one was actually looking _at_ her. She flicked her eyes from one boy to the other once more then grabbed Gavin’s shoulder and tugged gently while nodding once.

Gavin gave Michael’s hand one last tight grip then used his other hand to unclasp it (he was holding on that hard), walking to Ray and taking a place next to him.

“How’d you know it was me?” Michael asked her when she went to him and put her hand on his arm, his eyes cast downward.

Mrs. Josstone shrugged a shoulder, “gut feeling.” She said while putting her other hand on his forehead, feeling the skin then moving the same hand and placing it on his neck. She was quiet for a few heartbeats and Ray crossed his arms by Gavin, mumbling something about ‘waste of time’.

“What did you touch?” she asked them all.

Gavin looked up and started thinking, Ray answering instantly. “Just the things you gave me. And those necklaces by the register?”

She clicked her tongue in a disapproving way, pulling her hands back from Michael and pulling her glasses from where they hung around the neck of her dress. She put them on and looked into Michael’s face, more specifically his eyes. “Darling,” she began in a hushed voice. She moved closer and if Gavin didn’t know any better, he’d figure she was going to try and kiss him. “What color do you see things?”

Gavin pulled his head back slightly in shock; he hadn’t even thought to ask that question.

He hadn’t thought to ask a lot of things.

Pushing the guilt away (for the time being) he focused back on Michael, who was wearing a perplexed expression. “Black.” He answered.

"What kind of black?” she asked him, moving away from him and already walking to her spot behind the register. Ray and Gavin followed her with their eyes, but Gavin went back to looking at Michael.

He stood where she left him, alone in the middle of the store with the same look of realization on his face. “Black like… Like darker than the color itself. And everything feels kind of sluggish?”

Mrs. Josstone is humming from behind the counter and is holding an old journal in her hands, flipping through the pages. “What do you feel?”

“It goes away when I’m sleeping.” Michael nodded, “but when I’m awake it feels like I’m walking through really thick black fog or something.”

Ray looks over to Gavin and sighed as he gave up his role as the cynic in this whole thing and agreed that this is _exactly_ what the issue is about; Magic. He mumbled a silent “fuck” then rubbed at his jaw with his hand.

Gavin doesn’t say anything.

“Ray honey, are you sure you didn’t touch anything?” she’s done reading. And she’s taking quick steps to come back to them, a knowing smile on her face even while she walks past them. She doesn’t wait for an answer, but does halt in front of Michael to place a comforting hand on his shoulder and pat it once. “You’ll be fine.”

Michael’s eyebrows pull up in the middle and he nods, “okay.”

Gavin’s still not moving. He’s still looking, watching Michael and feeling like a useless piece of shit for not trying harder.

Ray followed Mrs. Josstone in stony silence, both hands in his pockets. They disappear for a few moments and it’s like that first day they were here; Gavin and Michael stay in one area together while Ray and the shop keeper go to another place to look for a book.

Gavin keeps staring at Michael and Michael is breathing shallow, his chest rising and falling nervously.

"I’m sorry.” Gavin finally breaks the silence.

Michael faced the direction from which he heard Gavin’s voice and gives him a look of surprise, “what?”

Gavin shook his head at himself. “I’m… I didn’t even ask you anything about—”

“Gavin,” Michael held both hands out to stop him from continuing, “I’ve done more fucking crying in the past two days than I’ve done in my entire _life_. I _don’t_ fucking cry, and you don’t _get_ to fucking cry. It’s fine, okay?”

“But it’s not fine. I didn’t take care of you, I didn’t bother asking you if you—”

“Gavin—”

“ _Mi_ chael, stop!” his feet move for the first time in what feels like a while, then he’s standing in front of Michael while breathing out with his nostrils flared. He then moved his hand over Michael’s wrist and gripped it tightly. “I’m sorry.”

Michael blinked, “’ve nothing to be sorry for.”

“Humor me.” Gavin was serious, as serious as he could be about anything. “Please humor me.”

Michael sucked his bottom lip between his teeth and nibbled on it while considering, stubborn as always. He was going to answer when Ray and Mrs. Josstone chose that exact moment to come back, talking quietly.

"Wait wait wait,” Ray said, stopping next to Michael and Gavin.

"For?” she asked happily, continuing to walk to the register with the book in her hand.

“How does that work again?” Ray asks.

“You read from the book, the book comes to life. You feed the book, it eats. Simple logic, my boys.” She’s pressing buttons on the register, once again humming and the bracelets on her arms make a light sound when they clink together with the movement.

“Who fed what?” Gavin asks.

“Apparently you did?” Ray offers, still confused.

Mrs. Josstone holds the book up, page open. Her index finger points to something and the expression on her face is placid, “you fed the book.”

“Why is there blood on…” And Gavin doesn’t need to finish the sentence.

He remembers now as if in a flashback: Ray’s reading from it, and Gavin goes dizzy. He holds on to something for support, cut up hand landing on the pages of the book… Ray closing it so nobody would see it, leaving the book behind and Gavin feeling weak for the rest of the day.

“But that doesn’t make any sense,” taking three hesitant steps forward, Gavin carefully decided to watch Mrs. Josstone place the book into a shopping bag instead of getting closer. “Why did Michael go blind if Ray read it to me? He was trying to erm… curse _me_ , so why Michael?”

She sighed, pulling the book back out and opening it. After she found the page she turned the book over on the counter so Gavin can read whatever it is she needs him to see. He spared her a questioning look, dubious of reading in case he gets some other malady thrown his way. She in turn gave him a reassuring nod, “you’ll be fine.”

Gavin looked at the book and read it to himself, his blood marking the start of the spell. _By hells might, by all that is right / curse this bastard’s primacy and take away his sight / force him to stare at but eternal night and face life without light_ ’.”

“I don’t understand.” Gavin is shaking his head, moving back.

Mrs. Josstone puts the book back away in the same bag, hands it to Ray. “Primacy.”

“What is a primacy?” Gavin wonders between a tired sigh.

“The curse worked,” she replied, “it worked perfectly. See, this wasn’t a curse for you specifically, you in the physical sense – it was a curse for you in that it harmed the thing you cared for most. The thing that’s top priority to you, the thing you hold high above all else – your primacy.” She looked behind Gavin at Michael, who looked annoyed as fuck at this point since he’d been standing in the same spot, waiting, for the entirety of their time inside the store. “The curse did what it promised. And your friend was mad enough at you that he meant it when he read it – if his story of you nearly getting him killed is true – and… You believed in it.”

Gavin hated that she was right.

“So what do we do now?” he asked her.

“Turn the food to ashes.” She began to go back to her cardboard box.

“In English, please?” Ray asked.

“Burn the damn book.” She snapped at him with a playful smirk. She stopped packing and held her hand out, “and that’ll be fifty dollars.”

Ray shook his head, “I’m gonna burn this book anyway.”

“I’m not going out of business because I _make_ money, my dear boy.” She curled her fingers in and out in a ‘cough it up’ motion.

She thrwe Gavin a wink when Ray placed a hundred in her open palm, acknowledging his and Gavin’s honest ‘thank you’ with a nod of her head.

“Let’s just burn this fucker out here,” Ray said while walking rapidly next to Gavin through the parking lot, a light thud sounding from behind them as they went along, “because I don’t think I can look at Michael crash into another door again.”

“Shit!” Gavin hissed, turning around and seeing Michael; he’d (once again) completely forgotten about helping him out. And of _course_ Michael had tried walking out of the shop on his own, and of _course_ he walked face-first into the closing door. Gavin ran to the front of the store with a deeply apologetic grimace, opened the door and helped Michael out with a hurried “sorry, love”.

“’M good, it’s all good.” Michael nodded and walked outside with Gavin.

When they reached Ray, he was holding the book in his hands. “Should we tear the pages out, or burn the whole thing, or…?”

“Want me to go ask?” Michael snapped, “fucking do it or I’ll jab your eyes out.”

“Okay okay, no need to be hasty.” Ray knelt on the ground of the parking lot and dug around his pocket, pulling out a black Zippo.

“Why do you have that?” Gavin asked suspiciously, looking down at him.

Ray shrugged, “obviously for my heroin.”

“Smart ass.”

“Thank you.”

“Get the fuck on with it.” Michael groaned. He let go of Gavin in exchange for hugging his arms to himself anxiously.

Ray lit the lighter up and held it the corner of the page, he and Gavin watching intently. It burned slow but burned nonetheless, the pages going black and the flame becoming larger as it caught more of the material to burn to. Ray got up and watched it blaze, both he and Gavin taking a huge step back when the flames started to burn a deep violet color before turning green then going back to oranges and reds. It burnt there for probably four minutes, and Ray sighed with relief when it got down to its last parts, Gavin feeling much more relaxed. The book was now nothing but a useless spine, and even _that_ was charred black and the whole area smelled awful (which made Gavin feel better about not doing this at his home), the scent indescribable.

Ray and Gavin looked at one another very much satisfied.

Michael’s legs gave out and he fainted, landing on the ground without announcement or grace.

 

* * *

  

Gavin gave up with trying to wake Michael up and decided to help Ray get him into the car. He was breathing fine, and they wanted to go return inside to ask Mrs. Josstone some more questions but Ray ran back from the store saying it was locked and nobody answered his knocking. Ray drove them home with an air of ease, despite the fact that one of his best friends was knocked out cold in the back seat.

He had left two hours later, claiming he had a date to get ready for and wished them luck. Gavin waved him off and thanked him for the help, sitting closer to Michael on the couch once Ray was gone completely.

Then all Gavin did was pretty much wait.

After about a half hour of making sure Michael’s breathing stayed constant, he got up walked to their room. He was overcome by sadness for a moment or two when he remembered that Michael hadn’t even gotten the chance to enjoy his new home yet, since he literally woke up without being able to see it. He kept ignoring the feelings of guilt he’d felt since Mrs. Josstone asked Michael those questions, trying to push aside the fact that he felt like he hadn’t done enough. And granted Michael hadn’t wanted his help (had pushed it off as much as he could) but he still should have tried harder.

Gavin shook his head lightly in an attempt to clear it then walked out of their room, flicking the light off while carrying a fluffy blanket from the closet and a pillow. He carefully lifted Michael’s head from the arm of the long sofa, placing the pillow underneath with as much ease as he could prior to setting him back down. Michael made a soft sound but didn’t stir, still deep into his slumber. Gavin then took Michael’s shoes off one at a time, tucking his legs in so they didn’t hang off the side of the sofa. He picked the blanket up, extending it over Michael’s body then knelt by his face, kissing his forehead.

“Feel better.” He murmured, sighing and running a hand through his hair. He pressed his lips to Michael’s cheek and got up, taking his shoes with him. He left them by the kitchen and looked at the clock: 4:00 PM on the dot. Not really knowing much else to do, he started raiding his cabinets for ingredients.

After carefully slicing the proper vegetables (and fruit, if you’re of the belief that it’s where tomatoes belong) Gavin had 4 sandwiches on Rye bread stuffed with thin deli turkey meat and two cups of homemade orange juice for drinks, ready and waiting at the table.

He’d also done some laundry in between making their food, so it’d probably been long enough that he could try to wake Michael up again.

“Michael?” he tried, leaning over the back of the sofa and reaching his arm out to gently stroke his jaw. “Wake up, my little Michael!”

“Three more minutes…” Michael groaned, heavily slurred.

Gavin grinned widely, “can you please sit up for me?”

Michael covered his face with the blanket and Gavin could see him shake his head no from the part of it that wasn’t under the thick white fabric, “no.”

“Please?” Gavin tried again, walking around to the front of the sofa.

Michael snored in response.

Gavin scrunched up his eyebrows, pulling the blanket off of Michael’s face and groaning; he was actually completely asleep.

“Bloody sleep talker.” He mumbled, smirking. He let it go again, back to the kitchen.

Gavin ate his food in silence, putting Michael’s in the refrigerator and hoping he’d be hungry when he woke up. He made himself busy by folding all the laundry, putting it away in between checking up on Michael to make sure he was breathing.

Three hours and a way-too-clean house later, he pulled Michael’s legs up from the sofa. He sat where they’d been, placing them back down on his lap and settling in with his bowl of popcorn and selecting ‘play’ on the movie he’d put in.

And that’s how he fell asleep, maybe halfway into the film.

Then the sound of glass breaking made him jump onto his feet a lot faster than he would have otherwise. Gavin forced his eyes open, looking to the hallway. On his way to the source of the sound, he peeked over his shoulder to verify that Michael wasn’t on the couch anymore. He chanced a look at the clock and saw it was well past midnight, the thought that his nap turned into full blown sleep forgotten.

“Michael?” he said, tentative.

“Gavin.” It wasn’t a reply, it was a reminder. Michael said it to himself almost like it was the fucking light at the end of the tunnel the past few days had been.

Gavin walked down the hallway, eyeing the key holder that had previously sat on top of the wooden table by the bathroom and was now broken on the carpet (with Gavin assuming it’d been pushed over in Michael’s rush) then kept going until he was by the bedroom door.

“Hello?” he called out again.

The door opened and Michael lunged at Gavin, so much force that it knocked him back onto the carpet a few inches away from the ceramic shards. Gavin groaned on the impact but laughed, hugging Michael tight around his midsection with his chuckles turning into almost girl-like giggles when Michael started to kiss his neck.

“Hi,” he kissed the spot between Gavin’s jaw and neck, “Gavin.”

“Hello.” Gavin said back between a snicker, his hands softly trailing up and down the backs of Michael’s legs after he was successfully straddled, “you’re like a puppy.” He added for nervous commentary, his insides a jumbled up mess of excitement.

Michael paused long enough to rid himself (and Gavin, too) of his shirt. “Call me whatever the fuck you want,” he hissed, “just do it while I fuck the living fuck out of—”

“Ah, ah, ah!” Gavin covered Michael’s mouth with his hand, breathing heavily and shaking his head. “Slow and steady wins the race, love.”

“ **Fuck** you.” Michael spat from between Gavin’s fingers. He pulled it off with a quick hand and sat up on Gavin’s lap, panting. “It’s been three fucking _days_. How’s _that_ for slow and steady, you asshole?”

Gavin was quiet. He raised both eyebrows and looked up, then nodded once in appreciation of the statement. “Good point.”

 

* * *

 

“I like how the first thing you can think of after getting your sight back is sex.” Gavin laughed from the floor, and his back feels like it’s on fire after rubbing up against the carpet for nearly the entire last hour but that’s _so_ okay with him.

He feels Michael shrug from his place, still struggling to catch his breath with his whole body on top of Gavin. “Can you really… Blame me?” he gasps out.

Gavin chuckled, “not really. Why are you so tired?”

“Well you didn’t just let me do all the work, now did you?” Michael nearly yelled, heavily sarcastic and leaning up on both arms to hover over Gavin again. “Should have been the other way around since you barely did shit for me as of late, anyway.” He was teasing, only playing. But the words hit a lot closer to home than Gavin thought they should have.

He swallowed hard, returning Michael’s kiss half-heartedly and when it ended they both sat up. Too boneless and lazy to really move anywhere else, they rested their backs against the wall of the hallway and Michael shook his hand through his hair, pushing it away from his face after.

“I need to cut this shit off.” He said, letting his head fall back and hit the wall with a faint thump.

Gavin looked at him, expressionless and reached over to push the bits of the small broken jar they’d used as a key holder further away. “Do you really feel that way?” he asked.

“What way?” Michael wondered thickly. He was closing his eyes, probably fighting the urge to give in to sleep.

“Like I didn’t do much for you?” Gavin didn’t look him, not wanting to see the reprimanding glare Michael would give him. But he couldn’t shake the feeling off, no matter how wrong he thought he was.

The sigh Michael released was loud. “It wasn’t you.”

“What wasn’t?”

“We’re too fuckin’ cryptic, Jesus Christ.” Michael willed himself to move. He was still too weak to get up, so he had to resort to pretty much crawling over to sit himself in front of Gavin, and he looked at his hands while he spoke. “I didn’t want your help. And… It’s not because I didn’t think you’d help me. I just…” he shook his head, shrugged like he didn’t really know how to end that sentence. “I just felt like I had to prove myself.”

“To be ready for the fateful day you go blind permanently?” Gavin let the back of his own head fall against the wall, a small grin playing around the edges of his lips. “Why?” he asked seriously.

He heard Michael shift in his sitting position, “I don’t even know.”

“For the record?” Gavin looked at him and stopped talking when he saw Michael still had his eyes locked on his hands. He reached out, put a hand on his jaw and tugged his head up gently. “Please look at me?” he asked. He didn’t need to say that he really missed the way Michael looked at him, not at all.

Michael nodded and stared into Gavin’s eyes, “okay.”

“For the record…” Gavin pulled his hand back and blinked at Michael, basking in his gaze and remembering how in love he is with the way Michael looked at him. How he zeroed his attention only on Gavin, nothing else mattering when Gavin was around. It made him feel way too many things at once, so he tried his best to speak through it. “For the record, if something like that were to ever happen? You’d have no choice, Michael.”

“I would too have a choice.”

“Shut up you baby. Not with me. You know exactly the kind of person I am, and you know exactly the kind of person you are.” Gavin grinned at him, “I broke every rule I ever had when I found you, Michael. I didn’t want to have a bloody full-blown relationship with anybody, ever. You scared me and you… You practically shook everything up in my life, everything I had you smashed your way past it all.”

Michael looked at him, confused. “And this is supposed to make me feel better how?”

"It’s not. I’m only letting you know that if someday the crap hits the fan and you end up with two broken legs, you’re going to have to trust me. You’re going to have to believe that I can help you, that I’m not a complete fuck up, Michael.” Gavin looked forward, suddenly extremely interested in the color of the hallway’s walls.

“Where is this all coming from?” Michael asked after a pause.

Gavin laughed softly, “I’ve had a lot of time to think.”

“I trust you Gavin. I trust the shit out of you, I really do. Even more so now that… I know what it’s like to need you that much.” Michael was struggling to be this open, and when Gavin looked at him he saw Michael was frowning at himself for saying what he was saying. “And I’m sorry for pushing you away.”

“I guess we’re both sorry for a lot of things.” Gavin huffed out and let his head fall to the side, landing on Michael’s shoulder. “Least you’re okay.”

Michael nodded. He motioned for Gavin to sit up then moved the arm of the shoulder Gavin had been leaning on and threw it over Gavin’s shoulders so that he could hug him tighter while Gavin rested his head on the crook of Michael’s neck instead. “Glad you’re okay too.”

And it’s safe to say nobody outside of Ray ever found out about those few days, because truth be told: who the fuck would have believed them?


End file.
